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This week's parsha, Vayishlach, follows Yaakov's journey from reconnecting with his brother after years of hiding from him, to his battle with the angel in which he gains his new name, Yisrael, and finally with his dealings with Shechem after they defiled his daughter Dinah. In the first two accounts Yaakov acts very strategically; he uses kind words to appease his brother, and battles the angel with all his strength. However, in the third situation his sons act—and not as diplomatically as Yaakov may have. After Shechem kidnapped and raped Dinah, he grew attached to her, and beseeched his father to make Dinah his wife. Yaakov and his family were outraged, and knew that she could not marry into such a family. However, instead of telling it to them directly, they told Chamor, Shechem's father and local chieftain, that all the men of the town must be circumcised before such a marriage is even considered. Amazingly, the population complied. On the third day Shimon and Levi sharpened their swords, and as is recounted in Perek 34, they slaughtered the city of Shechem.

Now we must question the actions of Yaakov's two sons. Was it not to harsh an action to slaughter a whole city on account of one man? How could Yaakov not really reprimand them for such a seemingly immoral act? All Yaakov says is that they may compromise the safety of the family, but did not comment on the brutality of his sons' actions.

One explanation comes from the Rambam, who says that their actions based on Halachic considerations and were justified. All people were expected to uphold the seven laws of Noach . One of the seven laws is to create a functioning court system so that the city can run well. However, this city just stood by and allowed an innocent woman to be kidnapped and raped, and followed no court of justice to punish the man. This offense was punishable by death, and therefore Shimon and Levi had every right to act the way they did, for it was really a matter of Halacha.

Another approach is given by Rav Hirsch. He feels that the motivation for the act was not so much about the law as it was about pride. They could not just stand by while the name of Yaakov;s family was being compromised. They needed to show the world that the daughters of such a prominent family were not at the disposal of any man, no matter his position in society, and should another be touched, the instigator will surely die. Rav Hirsch does agree that they overstepped the boundaries, and their actions were not admirable in the least, but the passion within the men led them to carry out justice in the way they saw fit,

The Jewish people are often seen as a docile nation, a nation that avoids confrontation and just bends whichever way the oppressor blows. But when there is something precious at hand a Jew will never stand down. Rav Hirsch pointed to the destruction of the second temple as an example, when the Romans had to bring in their strongest forces to bring down the uprising. Even in modern day times we see that the Jews have fought to defend what is rightfully theirs, like the state of Israel. Many Jewish people have lost their lives for the land, but we continue to fight, undaunted by the enemy for the passion within us knows it is right.

Often times Judaism instructs us to live our lives within the lines of Halakha, as the Rambam shows us. There is a practical reason for almost everything, and we must follow these guidelines given to us in order to maintain a balanced society. But other times, as Rav Hirsch points out, we must release our passion, and fight for the things we hold dear to us, whether it be a family name or the land of our ancestors. We cannot always live our lives "by the book", and remain a passive nation, but at the same time we cannot attack everything that threatens us; we must pick our battles wisely. Levi and Shimon did not slaughter the city because they were in a fit of rage, but rather because they needed to let it be known that the children of Israel will not be degraded by anyone. Their actions served as a lesson to the world that within this seemingly quiet nation, there lives a passionate man who will defend what he loves, and until today that lesson proves to hold true.

Liz Uretsky comes to AMIT from Los Angeles, California and is a graduate of YULA. Her favorite part of Midreshet AMIT is that she has the opportunity to both learn and do chesed each and everyday!